1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of archery equipment, and more specifically to a device which secures both to an archery bow and to the forearm of the archer using the bow. The present invention thus serves to lock the bow and the archer's forearm immovably together to provide stability for the bow as the arrow is being released, and also maintains clearance between the archer's forearm and the bowstring as it is released.
2. Description of the Related Art
Archery, and particularly archery hunting, has become an ever more popular sport, particularly as hunting laws have evolved to provide a longer season and/or other advantages for archery hunters as opposed to those who hunt with firearms. Accordingly, archers have developed ever more powerful bows and continue to seek ever more sophisticated equipment and accessories in order to maximize the accuracy and power of each shot. For example, it has long been known that the bow will tend to vibrate and twist upon release of the bowstring, and accordingly, various bow stabilizing devices have been developed. Another problem is the contact of the bowstring along the archer's forearm when the string is released, which has resulted in the development of various forearm guards.
Each of these various devices must either be attached to the bow or to the archer's arm in some way, with even more devices (bow sights, overdraw attachments for shorter arrows, etc.) having been developed for attachment to an archery bow. While each of the above noted accessories assists the archer in the accuracy and/or power of a shot, it will be noted that none provide a solid, secure attachment of the bow to the archer's arm, in order to minimize movement and play therebetween. Also, the relatively large number of various accessories available can easily outnumber the available locations on a bow for the attachment of such accessories to the bow.
Accordingly, a need will be seen for a rigid device which secures immovably to an archery bow, and which also attaches securely to the forearm of the archer, to provide a solid and essentially fixed link between the archer and the bow. The present invention must also provide other functions as well, serving as an arm guard to preclude contact of the bowstring against the forearm of the archer upon release of the string. The mass of the device (along with the forearm of the archer) also serves as a stabilizer for the bow assembly, with all of the above functions being accomplished by means of only two attach points to the bow.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U. S. Pat. No. 4,048,674 issued on Sep. 20, 1977 to John C. Chesnick, titled "Arm Guard For Archers," describes a flexible forearm guard formed of leather or equivalent material with a layer of padding thereunder. The device straps only about the forearm of the archer, and does not connect in any way to the bow, as does the present forearm brace and guard. Moreover, the lack of attachment to the bow results in the Chesnick guard being unable to maintain clearance between the bowstring and the guard when the string is released, which clearance is provided by the present brace and guard. As the Chesnick guard does not attach to the bow in any way, it cannot act as a stabilizer for the bow, as does the present invention.
U. S. Pat. No. 4,836,177 issued on Jun. 6, 1989 to Bill R. Williams, titled "Archery Bow Wrist Brace Apparatus," describes a brace which bolts to the forward stabilizer attach point of the bow. The device comprises a rearwardly extending, padded rigid loop for passing over the archer's forearm. A transverse secondary strap passes beneath the forearm, forwardly of the overlying loop portion of the brace. The archer need only pass his hand upwardly between the transverse loop and strap portions of the device, to apply the device; it does not positively strap about the forearm, as does the present brace and guard. While the Williams device may limit upward movement of the bow during a shot, it does not limit movement in other directions, as does the present invention. Moreover, the Williams device does not prevent contact of the bowstring with the device or forearm, as does the present invention.
U. S. Pat. No. 5,103,798 issued on Apr. 14, 1992 to Michael F. McGraw et al., titled "Archery Arm Guard," describes a guard comprising an elongate, rigid rod which extends rearwardly from an attach point at the general center of the bow. The McGraw et al. guard extends along the forearm of the archer, between the archer's forearm and the bowstring when the bow is held for a shot. The bowstring will slide along the guard, rather than contacting the archer's forearm, if the string is aligned too closely to the forearm when released. The device does not positively attach to the archer's forearm and thus does nothing to positively brace the bow and forearm together, as does the present brace and guard. Moreover, the relatively light mass of the McGraw et al. guard does not provide significant stabilizing influence, as does the present brace and guard.
U. S. Pat. No. 5,137,008 issued on Aug. 11, 1992 to Anthony Taylor, titled "Arm Guard," describes various embodiments essentially comprising an arm or plate attached to the accessory attachment area of the center of the bow, with another plate extending rearwardly from the first plate or arm. The Taylor device does not secure to the archer's arm, and thus cannot serve to stabilize the bow relative to the forearm of the archer, as does the present invention. Moreover, as the present invention comprises an attachment between the bow and the forearm of the archer, it also serves to preclude contact with any part of the guard itself. This is not accomplished with the Taylor device, which merely serves to absorb any impact of the bowstring.
U. S. Pat. No. 5,320,085 issued on Jun. 14, 1994 to Richard Hanneman, titled "Bow Stabilizing Arm," describes an arcuately and telescopically adjustable arm which attaches to the conventional stabilizer attachment point of a compound or other bow. The Hanneman device includes a concave brace portion at the distal end of the arm, for bracing against a part of the archer's body or other object, depending upon adjustment. However, Hanneman does not provide any means for positively securing the stabilizer arm to any part of the archer's body, particularly the forearm, as is done with the present stabilizer and arm guard. Moreover, the Hanneman device cannot serve as an arm guard, and does nothing to prevent the bow string from contacting the archer's forearm, whereas the present invention serves as a forearm guard, brace, and stabilizer all in a single device.
U. S. Pat. No. 5,351,867 issued on Oct. 4, 1994 to Clyde L. Vest, titled "Arm Steady Brace," describes a brace arm which may be placed between the waist and bow holding forearm of an archer or firearm shooter. The device attaches to the belt of the archer, but has only a concave brace at its distal end, in the manner of the Hanneman brace and stabilizer discussed above. Thus, the Vest brace cannot be positively attached to the archer's forearm, as can the present invention. Moreover, the Vest brace does not attach to the bow in any way, and thus cannot be used to stabilize the holding of the bow by the archer, as provided by the present invention. Also, the Vest device cannot act as a forearm guard, due to its lack of attachment to the bow.
U. S. Pat. No. 5,464,002 issued on Nov. 7, 1995 to Camilien Lavoie et al., titled "Archery Armguard Device," describes a device which clamps to a conventional rearwardly projecting stabilizer rod. The device comprises a wire frame or solid sheet of material which is offset toward the forearm of the archer, and prevents the forearm from moving too closely to the path of the bowstring when it is released. However, the Lavoie et al. device does not attach or secure positively to the forearm of the archer, as does the present invention, and thus cannot provide the same benefits of stabilizing of the bow and forearm together, as are achieved by the present invention. Moreover, the Lavoie et al. device requires an existing stabilizer rod, whereas the present stabilizer and arm guard secures to the existing attachment points for such accessories on the bow.
U. S. Pat. No. 5,531,211 issued on Jul. 2, 1996 to Gary R. Wilfong, Jr., titled "Archery Arm Guard," describes an assembly which secures to the back of a compound bow and includes a pair of adjustably spaced, rearwardly extending bars. One bar serves as a cable guard, precluding contact of the intermediate cables which run between the tips of the bow and opposite pulleys. The other bar serves as a forearm guard, and is laterally spaced from the first bar by an adjustable linkage. While the Wilfong, Jr. guard does prevent the bowstring from contacting the forearm of the archer, the assembly does not positively secure to the archer's forearm to provide a rigid brace between the archer and the bow, as provided by the present invention.
U. S. Pat. No. 5,535,731 issued on Jul. 16, 1996 to Mark A. Webster, titled "Archery Bow Stabilizer," describes a device which attaches to the front side of the bow at the standard stabilizer arm attachment point thereof. The Webster device comprises a block with four arms extending therefrom, with one arm extending into each of the quadrants defined by the horizontal longitudinal and lateral axes of the bow. The arms are downwardly disposed, for clearance from the archer's arm and the bowstring and arrow. Thus, Webster teaches away from the present invention, where a stabilizer brace secures positively to the bow and also to the forearm of the archer to tie the two together for greater stability. The Webster device also does nothing to preclude contact of the bowstring with the archer's forearm, as it extends forwardly of the bow, rather than rearwardly as in the present invention.
U. S. Pat. No. 5,944,004 issued on Aug. 31, 1999 to Jerry A. Goff et al., titled "Archery Stabilizer And Drawlock," describes a device which attaches to the attachment point for an overdraw arrow rest at the central area of the bow, and extends rearwardly therefrom. The Goff et al. device is adjustable in length and provides for holding the bowstring when drawn, as in a crossbow. While the rearwardly extending mass of the Goff et al. device may serve to stabilize the bow to some extent, the Goff et al. device does not contact or secure in any way to the bow holding forearm of the archer, as provided by the present stabilizer and bowstring guard. Moreover, no protection for the forearm from the bowstring is provided by the Goff et al. device.
Finally, French Pat. Publication No. 2,614,981 published on Nov. 10, 1988 to Societe Nouvelle Regnier describes (according to the English abstract) an elbow brace including a bowstring release extending forwardly therefrom. No means of attaching or bracing the device to the bow is apparent from the French Patent Publication, nor is any protection from the bowstring apparent, as provided by the present forearm brace and guard.
None of the above inventions and patents, either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.